A smooth morning commute didn't last long Monday morning after a 10-car pileup blocked Interstate 45 in north Houston, and a short time later another crash temporarily shutdown U.S. 59 near downtown.

A 3-three vehicle wreck about 7:40 a.m. clogged the northbound Southwest Freeway near the Gulf Freeway, according to Houston TranStar. The northbound lanes were temporarily shutdown while crews cleared the area. The lanes later reopened.

About an hour earlier, the 10-car pileup jammed the northbound North Freeway near Airline. The outbound lanes were temporarily blocked while crews cleared the area. Traffic was backed up for miles. The lanes reopened about 7:30 a.m., and traffic slowly got back to normal.

Before dawn, a two-vehicle wreck happened about 5:15 a.m., on the northbound North Freeway near Interstate 10. The wreck blocked two lanes of traffic and gummed up the commute on the North Freeway through downtown. The lanes reopened about 5:45 a.m.

No information was available about possible injuries or what caused the crashes.